Produced for practicality more than anything else, the new
car, launched in the UK earlier this month (Nov 2017), is entering a
competitive market. Rivals include the Nissan Juke, the Vauxhall Mokka X and
the Renault Captur.

Safe

Citroen has stuck to the compact SUV fashion by kitting the
fresh model out with driving aids that are intended to enhance safety and the
motoring experience. That means factory-fitted tech levels are notable, with
the highest-level Flair model boasting anything from emergency assistance, to
sat-nav and a sunroof. There’s a wide-ranging bunch of safety paraphernalia on
board, too, with traffic sign recognition, head-up display, lane-departure
warning and autonomous emergency braking.

Roomy

The C3 Aircross accomplishes
awesome practicality due to a roomy boot, able to gobble up 1,289 litres of
luggage with the rear seat bench collapsed. Even with the rear passenger chairs
up, there is 410 litres of space, ballooning to 520 litres with the chairs
moved forwards. Furthermore, backseat passengers get ample head and legroom.

Characterful

As always, the French motor-maker has gone big on
personalisation with its latest car. The exterior detailing, roof, and body
colour can all be adapted, with Citroen asserting that it can provide more than
85 colour combinations for the C3 Aircross.
There’s also an assortment of colour bundles to jazz up the cabin.

Peppy

Diesel or petrol power is the way to go with the
C3 Aircross, as no electric or hybrid engines are available. The most prevalent
model is expected to be the 110PS petrol-propelled 1.2-litre Puretech, offered
with a six-speed manual gearbox or automatic transmission. If you need more
clout, though, the 130PS 1.2-litre Puretech petrol, or diesel-driven 120PS
1.6-litre BlueHDi will sort you out.

Planted

Compared with the standard Citroen C3, the C3 Aircross is
taller and weightier. But, no matter, because the car feels more planted as a
result. Ride comfort is sound, but it is perhaps more sensitive to damaged
tarmac than it should be. To remedy that, you can tick the ‘Grip Control’
option box – this will settle things.

Verdict

Citroen has taken a deep dive into the compact SUV sector
with its ‘in-your-face’ new car. It’s not just the model’s styling that
excites, it’s the practicality, all-encompassing kit levels, and good-as-gold
driving behaviour. The C3 Aircross is
not necessarily the best compact SUV, but it should be on your list if you’re
considering buying or leasing this type of car.